Maggie, Jesse and the Binkys

My littlest sister, Maggie, is almost exactly 21 years younger than me. To put it another way, Jesse's aunt is only 3 years older than he is. I think it's great - Jesse will have someone older to play with and boss him around, and Maggie will learn how to share with someone younger (we hope!). I have an uncle that isn't much older than me, and he taught me how to shuffle cards and how to spot constellations. I can't wait to see what Maggie will teach Jesse.

Also, DIMPLE!

Maggie is adorable. She's very bubbly and talkative. Sometimes in a family of eight kids it's hard to get attention, and she's learned that she can be in the spotlight if she's cute, so she milks it for all it's worth. She was SO EXCITED when I was pregnant. She couldn't wait to hold the baby, and was very eager to teach him. She told me that I got pregnant because I "jumpded on da trampoline, and opened your mouth, and the baby went in'da tummy!" Mom even used Jesse to (successfully) wean her from binkys at bedtime. "The baby needs this, sweetie. Can we put it in the bag for the baby?"

When my siblings came to visit me in the hospital, she proudly presented me with the bag of binkys, gave me a kiss and began happily pushing buttons on my bed. Then we introduced her to Jesse.

She was having NONE of that. Wouldn't look at him, wouldn't touch him, nothing. I'm not sure if she realized that her spot as the adorable youngest one was being usurped, or if she was just uncomfortable with this small thing that just lay there, but she was very much not pleased and NOT interested in cooperating.

Until we asked if she wanted to give Jesse a binky.

All of the sudden he was DOING something. Something she understood! Binkys were the best and that was something they had in common! Maybe this baby thing wasn't so bad.

Since then, though, she hasn't been really eager to interact with Jesse very much. She gets shy and a little apprehensive when he is around, and seems to view him as a necessary evil.

I babysat her this morning while my mom was on her way to a wedding (that's what I get for living in the same neighborhood as my parents!). We colored, and played with puppets, and read stories.

This is a ribbon.

While I was fixing lunch, Jesse started fussing. "Could you put his binky in, hon?" After a minute: "He dun want it." Fuss fuss fuss. I got to a stopping point and came over. "See, sweetie, you put his binky in, then hold his cheek like this. Now he's better! He just wanted a little attention." She watched me for a minute, then twirled away, uninterested.

A little while later, I was...otherwise occupied (okay, I was in the bathroom) and Jesse started fussing again. I sighed to myself and started wrapping up, and all of the sudden he stopped. When I came into the living room, Maggie was sitting next to him with her hand on his cheek, saying "Shh, Jesse, is okay. Don' worry, Jesse." just like she had hear me say earlier. She beamed up at me with that dimply grin. "Look! I helpded him!" Yes, you did, sweet girl.

 

She might still get a little nervous, but I'm confident these two are going to be great friends.